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Kitchen Myths
Facts and fiction about food and cooking, by Peter Aitken
Never put bananas in the refrigerator – they’ll become inedible
Posted by on April 4, 2011
The skins will darken, but refrigeration slows ripening of bananas the same as it does other fruits. The insides will be fine.
Kitchen Myths 
I was told not to put bananas in the fridge due to a toxin in the peel that will speed up the ripening process of any fruit surrounding the banana. This also may be a myth!
That’s actually true – sort of. Ripening bananas give off small amounts of a gas called ethylene. It is not toxic and is a natural product. It does speed the ripening of other fruits and vegetables, and many people make use of this. If you want to hasten the ripening of, say, a peach or tomato, seal it in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana.